We have a Damsel in Distress and need a Knight in Shining Armor to find and rescue her. We are going to work with 24 candidates, who will play 24 rounds. Each candidate will determine the game play, map and settings for 1 round. You can choose standard, 1v1, doubles, triples and quads, Terminator, Assassin, any standard geographical map listed below and any settings, except freestyle and speed. For obvious reasons you cannot choose 5 or 7 player games. For every round seeding will take place, so the players/teams with similar scores will play each other. All rounds will be 1 game, so no best-of-3 or more series. You will get one “shield” per game won, the candidate with the most shields at the end will receive the title“Knight in Shining Armor”. For a win in your “own round” you will get 2 shields. In case of a tie one game will be played with all candidates tied. That game will be on Midgard, auto-deploy, escalating, chained, sunny.

Now comes the fun part:

To sign up for the tournament you have to submit a chapter for our story, continuing the story from the chapter of the previous candidate, so in the end we have one big story with 24 chapters. I will start off with the first chapter, obviously the 24th candidate will have to write the story’s end when the Damsel in Distress is rescued and all live happily ever after.

A few requirements for your entry: The chapter you write must follow the medieval theme, contain between 400 and 600 words (mine has 500) and be accompanied by minimum 1 image, maximum 4 images. The images must be 600 x 150 pixels exactly. Our hero, The Knight, must remain unnamed in the story.

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There will be aGeneral Achievement Medalawarded to the candidate with the most original entry. That entry will be decided by a vote by the 24 candidates.

1.- I reserve the right to deem any entry as “unworthy” if I don’t think it fits in the story2.- Freemiums are welcome, as long as you keep 2 spots open3.- Every candidate needs to be at least a private4.- Games have to be joined within 48 hours5.- If you have any doubts about map/settings you would like to use, check below6.- Any questions? Ask me….

7.- Added rule: Effective immediately we have a round limit of 50 rounds for all games. If after round 50 a game has no winner, nobody will receive a shield for that game.

Important: You have to sign up with a complete entry, I will not “reserve you a spot”. However, whilst you are preparing your entry you may reserve a post for it indicating that you are preparing Chapter X. I will send you a PM when it's time to write your Chapter.

Once upon a time, after many days of traveling along dark, dusty country roads our hero, The Knight, arrived at a tavern in a remote village somewhere in the Kingdom of Midgard. Night was falling and after bringing his tired horse to the stables he entered the smoky main room of the inn. He was glad to see his old friend and companion sitting at a table by the fire, enjoying a pint of the famous local ale. It was dangerous traveling through the kingdom alone ever since the King’s youngest daughter had been abducted. Our Knight greeted his friend, sat down at the table and ordered a pint and a bowl of beef stew with some bread and cheese. While waiting for his order (the landlord’s nickname was “The Turtle”) the two friends got down to business right away. “Did you hear anything about the Royal Guard since you’re here?”, our Knight asked. The inn was suspected to be a secret meeting point for the less loyal Knights of the Royal Guard and as rumor had it, that members of the Guard may have been involved with the disappearance of the young Princess. “No”, said his friend, “Nobody is willing to talk, they’re all afraid”. They kept on talking about their plans to find the Princess whilst drinking plenty of local ale for the rest of the evening. By the time they went to bed they had decided what they were going to do and asked the landlord to wake them early with a hearty breakfast.

Early the next morning, after breaking their fast with sausages, tomato and crispy bacon, they left the village under the cover of darkness. They had barely left the last few houses of the village behind when two riders emerged from the shadows of the trees and blocked their path. Although they were not wearing the tunic, our Knight clearly recognized one of them as a member of the Royal Guard and he hadn’t come here at this hour to wish them a good morning. “It seems that we need to teach you a little lesson”, the man that our Knight recognized said. “We don’t like nosy strangers and you are….”, the man continued, but before he could finish the companion of our Knight had sliced his throat with one swift, fluent movement of his sword. Even our Knight was surprised by the speed of his friend and by the time he had drawn his sword the second traitor of the Royal Guard had turned around his horse and was riding away. Instead of going after him our Knight calmly took his bow and with a well aimed arrow brought the man down. “Well”, our Knight said, “At least we know we’re looking in the right direction otherwise they wouldn’t have tried to stop us”. His friend agreed and after they made sure the two traitors were dead they continued their journey.

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Chapter 2 (by ptlowe)

Whilst our hero and his companion, who was also known as the Ranger of the Free Cities, had understood the true magnitude of the journey on which they traveled. Our valiant Knight knew that there was a reason for the treachery that had befallen our beautiful princess, however he did not take into consideration that this one event, how little or large it may be, could lead to a changing of the world as he knew it.

As our Knight and the Ranger continued on their journey, they came upon a vagabond upon the side of the road. What was uniquely interesting about this particular vagabond is that her clothing was completely filthy but made of the finest materials this side of the known world. As our hero and his companion approached the wretch of a woman, they could not help but feel pity upon her. The Knight rode his horse over to the woman, “I bid you tidings madam, from whence comes though, you appear ill and smell rancid, however you are dressed in the finest silks I have seen which is a peculiar conundrum.” The woman stared up at them with the most intense and radiant green eyes either one them could remember to have seen. Her eyes had been hidden because she had been staring down as they had approach. “Noble Knight” the woman replied, “I am Anna, daughter of Duke of Middle Earth and close friend to the princess who has been captured. I was captured with the princess and since have escaped. I have sullied my looks in order to remain unnoticed until I found someone whom I thought would be able to help me save my friend.” Our Knight stared at her for several moments with out uttering a sound. He made so little noise that the Ranger and Anna thought he had stopped breathing. Then he answered, “My Lady, I have never met a woman of your character before. Most woman I have met that are as stunning as you do not have the gumption of loyalty or anything beyond what they will eat the next day or the next item of clothing they will decide to wear. I commend you for your courage and loyalty. I have the ability to detect guile within the voice and have found you completely truthful. Please fair lady, clean yourself up and tell us what you know.”

The Ranger then led the woman to a river while the Knight rode back to town to find her some clothing suitable of the journey. After Anna had cleaned up and changed into her new clothing she began to tell the two men of her terrible adventure. While our Knight had the special ability to tell if people were telling the truth. Our Ranger had the unique ability to appear as if he was listening and not to actually pay attention until something critical was being uttered. Call it a sixth sense or what you will and since his memories are the ones in which this chapter has been written we will miss the entire story. While Anna continued on her story he just stared at her intense beauty. He could not believe how beautiful she really was. If she would have him, he would be her man. Just then, his ears picked up something import, “I overheard the kidnappers saying that they would be taking us to the the Dark Prince in the territory known as England.” Anna uttered exasperated, for concluding her lengthy story in less than five minutes. “Well it seems we have our heading Ranger” the Knight said as he began to saddle the horses. “You may come with us or journey to your home noble maid. I will send my Ranger with you if you tend to head home.” the Knight said. Without hesitation, Anna replied, “I will stay the course until my friend is safe.” Onward the band of three headed to the England.

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Chapter 3 (by squishyg)(Image format edited by Lx)

By daybreak Anna, the Ranger, and the Knight had traveled nearly half the distance to England. Riding at night had proved to be a wise choice, for they encountered not a living soul save for a hungry owl and an unfortunate mouse. They galloped towards a forest as the sun began to rise and were relieved at having some shade for the next leg of their journey.

The riders allowed the horses to amble on for a few minutes, but then slowed their rides, being careful to look around for anyone or anything hiding in the thick foliage of the forest. As the trees got larger and denser the horses hesitated and suddenly a branch swung forward and hit Anna so forcefully that her delicate frame was knocked off her horse and she landed on the mossy earth.

The Ranger immediately dismounted and rushed to Anna's side. "She's unconscious, but alive", he sighed with relief as the Knight stayed mounted and alert. The Knight drew his sword and used it to slash away some of the branches obstructing his view. As he did so, the Ranger was violently dragged into the bushes. The Knight's horse shied and as the steed's legs went up the Knight lost his balance and hit his head on the trunk of a great oak. He experienced a blinding pain that did not fully distract him from the faint awareness that he was being dragged into the trees.

When the Knight awoke with a throbbing head, the Ranger was sitting behind him, their arms bound together by thick knotted twine. They were seated uncomfortably on a dirt floor in a smelly hovel. Remnants of meals were littered across the floor and skins of rats were clumsily stitched together to make crude curtains for the filthy windows. A quick exchange of words confirmed that they neither knew where they were or more importantly, where Anna was.

Whoever had tied the men up had little skill in the art of binding and after only a few minutes of coordinating wriggling; the Knight and Ranger had freed themselves and set about looking for Anna. They cautiously stepped through a gruesome drapery of animal pelts came upon a stone staircase leading down into darkness.

Without hesitation, the Ranger led the way down the way into the unknown with the Knight, no less a man of action, right behind him. As they descended, the dulcet sound of Anna’s voice could be distinguished between the sounds of hoarse mutterings.

“I see…., well I suppose so…” Anna’s voice was cordial yet halting and the Knight felt the Ranger’s body stiffen. They were but steps away and before another word was spoken they found themselves in a shabby candlelit room. Anna was seated at a decaying wooden table and for all accounts could be assumed to be taking tea with a trio of decrepit hags.

The crones jumped up as the Knight and Ranger stepped into the room. “Get out, get out, GET OUT” they shrieked. Although the hags seemed to be older than the forest in which they dwelled, they were astonishingly spry and strong and before the men could register what was happening they found themselves pushed upstairs into the squalid room. The old women puttered about the room whispering and moving quickly.

Anna appeared just a moment, looking no worse for wear, “It’s alright”, she explained, “They’re harmless really, in fact they might prove to be useful. They’re forest hags and are intensely distrustful of men. They know quite a lot about the princess’ whereabouts the last few days and they’re willing to share some information with us.”

The Ranger and Knight looked at her skeptically, “Surely these witches can’t be trusted!” exclaimed the Knight. “Perhaps”, nodded Anna, “but it’s a chance I’m willing to take”. “A chance you’re willing to take?” asked the Ranger, “What do they want from you?”

Anna took a deep breath, “Let me explain”

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Chapter 4 (by MyTurnToWin)

“Several knights traveled through the forest on the eve of the new moon. The hags swear the princess rode in the midst of them, her hands tied together, and a scarf tied round her eyes.” Tears filled Anna’s eyes. “The hags followed them for a day and a night and know where they have hidden her. It is a small cave halfway up Dragon’s Fire Mountain.”

The Knight said, “If she is so close we can soon rescue her.”

Anna shook her head. “They have gotten aid from the Sorceress Choldrin who has placed a Spell of Protection around the cave. No one can enter or leave the cave. The hags can prepare a Potion of Unbinding to free the Princess, but …” Tears trickled down Anna’s cheeks like small streams of water in a meadow.

The ranger stepped forward and took Anna’s hands in his. “But what, fair lady? I am at your service; tell me what I must do.”

“They do not have all the items required for the spell.”

“Then we shall gather them.” He wiped away her tears with one finger. “No more tears, we shall do this for the Princess and the King.”

Anna’s lip trembled. “I fear you are her only hope. And there is not much time. The potion must be prepared on the eve of the full moon and used the following night. Everything must be gathered by then.”

The Knight stepped forward and placed one hand on the hilt of his sword. “I swear by all that is holy that we shall return here with all that is needed.”

One of the hags stepped forward. Wrinkles lined her face, coarse gray hair hung over her shoulders and dark eyes stared at him beneath sagging eyelids. A scar zig-zagged down her cheek. “Brave words, Knight, but we trust no man. We will keep Anna here as a token of your allegiance.”

The Ranger stepped forward, one hand on his sword, but the Knight swung his arm across his friend’s chest and held him back. “Then tell us what you need so we might begin our journey while it is still light.”

“An acorn from the Oak of Midgard. Seven drops of water from the Pool of Lindax. A scale from the back of a dragon. And nine strands of hair from the Goddess Amazzony.” She pointed at the door. “Go. Now. Do not return unless you complete your quest.”

With a single nod of his head at Anna, he gripped his friend’s shoulder. “We shall return before the eve of the full moon.”

Outside the hut he pressed one finger against his lips and shook his head. In silence they mounted their horses. He led the way beneath the swaying branches of towering trees. Small animals scurried beneath shrubs while birds sang overhead. A breeze scattered leaves and sunlight filtered through the trees dropping pools of golden light on the narrow trail. More than an hour passed before the Knight spoke. “Where shall we begin? The oak is the furthest away and guarded by an ogre. A terrible monster lives beside the pool. The dragon sleeps by day and flies at night, and most assuredly breathes fire. And the Goddess can weave spells of magic to ensnare any man’s heart.”

“Let us sleep this night near the crossroads and in the morning make our decision.”

“We must be wary, if the Sorceress hears of our quest she will send many creatures to stop us.”

The ranger said, “Like that one?”

When he peered over his shoulder the Knight saw a troll.

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Chapter 5 (by DBandit70)(Image by Lx)

Struck with instant fear and caught off-guard, the Knight and Ranger fled on foot, racing through the thick forested area. The adrenaline carrying them along as deer, they made their way toward the morning sun in the east. Panting heavily the knight looks back, “Hold on, hold on, we are alone,” and both men fell to the floor of the forested kingdom they had ridden through not even twelve hours earlier. “That Troll, I have seen that troll before, but can not place him,” the Ranger whispers. The Knight looked over, “What the hell do you mean you have seen him before? Hell I do not even know what a troll is.”

The men re-gathered their composure and set off down the path, each man in deep thought as only footsteps and the occasional murmur from the Ranger broke the silence. It was not long before they exited the forest unto an open meadow filled with the morning dew on open fields of green as the sunlight fell upon their faces. Thankful to be out, each smiled at each other but the relief was for but for a moment as sudden fear came upon the Ranger’s face. “What is it?” the Knight urgently inquires. “That was no troll we saw,” replied Ranger. Growing ever more nervous, “Than what or who was it Ranger? “That was the Prince of Midian who sought for years permission to court the Princess and yet was always denied by the King who had better taste. And Anna, you saw the clothing she was arrayed in, we both were taken back, but did you notice the cross weave loops at the fringes of her garments? Yes Sir Knight they point directly to the customs of the Midian peoples.” The Knight torn between common sense and his lust for this beautiful vessel called Anna urges Ranger to speak on. “The acorn, the seven drops of water from the pool Lindax, the dragon scale, do you not see the symbolism each of these requests bear? The Knight intensely listened on as the Ranger calculated in his mind the meaning of these things. “The acorn is the prince of Midian, who seeks to grow into an oak, who is the King over us. The seven drops communicate that in seven years will he turn the kingdom over and the dragon scale represents the ones to whom the kingdom will be transferred to.” “Well who would that be?” eagerly questioned the Knight.

Ranger’s voice fading away, “I am not sure.” “But I get the feeling when the prince of Midian was denied entry into the kingdom through marriage that his plan was unintentionally thwarted and that now they have sought a second course of action in taking the Princess away to use her to accomplish their goals.”

The Knight stands up before the Ranger, “What course of action do we take from here?”

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Chapter 6 (by ralphcptc)(Images by Lx)

"Well, we must begin," replied the Ranger. "This could be a trick by the Dark Prince of Midian, but what choice do we have at this point? If he can take the form of any dark or evil creatures then we must be cautious. The borders of Midian are well guarded and we will need to find safe passage to get to the Oak of Midian."

The Knight ponders a moment. "The village of Bree lies near the border, it is a stop along the trade routes. We must seek a way into Midian from there."

Our stalwart adventurers approached the village that very night after traveling many long hours. After stabling their horses they approached the tavern with their hoods up to help conceal their identities.

The Knight whispered, "the Prince will surely have spies here looking for us."

Upon entering the tavern the pair quickly found a small secluded table in the back of the tavern to plan their border crossing.

"M'lords, can I get you something?" asked the young barmaid that had just arrived at their table. "Two pints of ale, a loaf of bread, cheese, and a quiet room to talk." The barmaid led them to a room off to the side of the main room in the tavern. She then indicated that she would return with their provisions as the Knight presented some gold coins as payment.

As our adventurers made their way to a the small room, two men at the bar exchanged looks and nods and got up from their seats and disappeared out the door of the tavern.

The maid returned quickly with the food the pair began discussing their plans. Just then the door to the room opened and a thin, short man entered the room.

"I beg your pardons Sirs," began the small man in a slightly high pitched voice. "I am Bolo, a procurer of various goods and services," he stated proudly, "I believe I can be of assistance."

The Knight and Ranger exchange looks. "What makes you think we are in need of assistance?" asked the Knight.

"You are newcomers to the village and therefore will need a guide, you arrived quietly and hooded at night so you wish to stay hidden, and you are seeking a place of solitude to discuss away from prying ears." Bolo declared with the arrogant air of someone who can deduce much from minor clues.

Our adventurers exchanged looks and the Ranger nodded. "We seek a way into Midian to find our way to the Oak of Midian," stated the Knight.

"You are in luck, I know a way, but I have to go with you. That is the deal take it or leave it"He stated as he balanced a dagger on its point on his index finger.

"We are in a hurry. How must we proceed?" asked the Ranger.

"We leave now, hurry!", declared Bolo.

The group got up from the table and made their way out of the tavern. Once in the street several men stepped from the shadows on all sides of them. "We are here to collect your village entry tax", shouted the largest of the men with an evil grin on his face.

Bolo crouched, "this will of course increase my fee." And he lept into the air toward the largest man and brought him down with the dagger shoved to the hilt near his collar bone and piercing his heart. The trio made quick work the others.

"Well to Midian!" stated Bolo, as he wiped the blood from his dagger.

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Chapter 7 (by SirSebstar)(Format slightly edited by Lx)

The Dark Prince of Midian has formed an alliance with the Wicked Witch of the East. Together they plan to destroy the armies of Good with magic unknown to this plane of existence. Or maybe it was a 1 in a million chance of an incantation thought up by a drowsy and bored magic scholar. Either way the Knight and his party was caught in a temporal vortex and transported to what seems to be a a world in the shape of a disk on top of a giant turtle floating in Space. True to its treacherous nature, the Dark Prince of Midian is already turning to betray his own alliance and tries to get home with his new knowledge. His treachery rivaled only by the willingness of those he met, to follow him. Each member of our party has landed on a different location, a strange cloud covering the earth . Can they rally enough support to get back home? Beware though; The magics to summon the portal back have disrupted normal life. Vortexes are running across the land like tornadoes of destruction. The people caught in it are never seen again.

Trying to stay ahead of the destruction and clearing out a path is crucial for they will need to get back in order to continue with their quest. Treachery is rife and it may be any member of the party that is just not up to it to survive.

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Chapter 8 (by bkwill)(Image by Lx)

Since the three members of the party were split apart by the vortex they couldn't protect one another. Bolo was the first to die. When he landed after being swept off by the weird force he was immediately surrounded by dark evil creatures. He swung his dagger in every direction. Mightily he fought for hours, killing 7 or 8 of the unknown varmints. Poor Bolo bled to death from all the bites and scratches he suffered while fighting for his life. Whatever the Dark Prince of Midian and the Wicked Witch of the East had conjured up it was working, and it was evil.

The Ranger was the second to die. When he landed from the bizarre disruption he found himself upside down and hanging by his boot from a branch about 60 feet above the ground. Below him he could only see multiple pairs of yellow eyes, and he could hear growls and howls of anticipation. He struggled for hours to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Eventually he grew too tired to fight anymore. He fell 60 feet to a pack of wolves which tore him apart, and ate him.

The Knight was picked up by the vortex as well and thrust into the strange place. He knew he was alone and that he was in trouble.

"I must gather my wits in order to save the Princess." He said out loud. "The Princess has been kidnapped, and I must save her for the King." He wasn't speaking to anyone, only out loud.

There were three attempts by evil forces to kill the Knight. Every attempt was denied by him. He survived every time. He was driven by the thought that he must save the Princess for the King. He continued to think about the Princess all the time he was acting to survive. It must have been a good thought because the evil spell cast by the Prince of Midian and the Wicked Witch of the East was broken. Good had once again triumphed over evil. It was a lesson that the knight had learned over and over. Good always triumphs over evil. A portal opened up in front of the Knight and he was transported back to where he was picked up.

He was alone now. Bolo and the Ranger were both dead. But the bad spell has been broken and now the Knight could continue on with his quest to find the ingredients requested by the witches that had taken Anna.

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Chapter 9 (by TheSaxlad)(Image by Lx)

As the Knight trudged along the dusty path away from the portal, which quite suddenly disappeared, he looked towards the moon. “Oh Crap” he thought to himself, not a knightly thought but one needed, for his time away in the vortex had warped the fabric of time. Whereas when he had been tossed into the swirling whirlpool they had had a couple of months, now the moon was nearing it’s full. The knight only had a few days to complete the quest and find the ingredients. He resolved to do as best he could, the only thought keeping him from total disillusionment the Princess. As he trudged into the nearest town, he had become aware that something was following him, good or bad he had no idea.

In one motion he unsheathed his sword, and swirled it around his head, before almost bringing it down on the eldest man he had seen. The shrunken man looked quizzically at the sword, which grew hot in the knight’s hand. Too hot to bear as it tumbled from his grasp. At once the knight knew he was in the clutches of a powerful force. Good or bad he had no idea.

“Sit” commanded the force, and the Knight felt himself sagging to his knees. “Now listen” commanded the force, “I am the spirit of Midgard”.“Oh please” thought the knight, “and I’m King Arthur.”“No seriously, I am the spirit of Midgard. Also known as the mighty Steelhorse, The Courageous cloet, but my friends kill me the 812th Sam. Anyway I am here to help you” and with these words another portal opened directly in front of the Knight. “Oh please not another bloody portal” moaned the Knight.“Fine then, you can walk the oak of Midgard” chuckled the spirit and closed the portal.“NONONONONO” shouted the Knight, “Bring that back”“Lol” said the spirit before the portal opened once more. “Now listen once more, mere mortal” commanded the spirit, “through this portal is a parody of our life, our world. And it is much smaller, what may be traversed in years over this land takes hours in this land, we call it” and here he whispered “Doodlonius.”“Not Doodlonius” whispered the Knight.“Doodlonius” whispered the spirit, and with that pushed him though the portal.

On the other side the Knight was bombarded by the colours and sounds and smells of Doodlonius, it was all new, all a bit much for the senses and the knight fell down and slept. When he woke up he new something was wrong, he proceeded carefully but as he feared they got to him before he found the portal out. There were 7 Assdoodles, assassins of the doodle realm, sent by the Dark Prince of Midian, out to assassinate the Knight for good. As they converged on him, the Knight had only limited thoughts. To fight for what was right, to avenge his dead friends, and most of all, to save the Princess, the one thing he had left.

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Chapter 10 (by DJ Teflon)

The Knight was left weary and famished after vanquishing the assassins of Doodlonius. Nonetheless, he set off in search of food and shelter in the bizarre world he had traversed.

He passed through the barren land of Irakstan to the cold wastes of More Russia.

Venturing on, he found himself on the edge of a huge cliff. Below, alll he could see was the brilliant whiteness of thick layers of cloud. Small wisps rose from the great sea, curling and rising towards him. As he breathed in the misty air, he felt revived and strong once again.

"By the great Gods, what is this world?" he said aloud.

Again, the spirit of Midgard appeared before him.

"Sire, beyond even my comprehension the mysteries of this World are. Limits to my knowledge there are. And forsaken by the Gods I am. Little of my knowledge can I share. Exists by different laws does this world. Move through time and space and connect with other worlds this place does. Keeping the balance of the forces of the universe its purpose is."

"But, but, that's impossible!" stammered the Knight.

"Learning you are. Open your mind you must. To succeed in your quest, accept what you once thought impossible you must."

The knight felt so confused. Images of witches, portals, a giant turtle, and a tiny world moving through time and space all whirled through his mind. He took a deep breath, summoning strength from the misty air. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on his quest and saving Anna.

"So, great spirit, or whatever you are, where do I go from here and why did you bring me here?"

"Sire, by Doodlonians, known as the Edge of the World the cliff you see before you is named. Stop them fear does. Explore down the cliff they dare not.

When the Gods fashioned the First World, Volcanus, this world also fashioned they did. The edge of one world the beginning of another it is."

"What are you telling me now? Down there is the beginning of time? And what is that to do with my quest?"

"Yes. Below those clouds the world of Volcanus lies."

The spirit could see the Knight looked troubled.

"Worried about your friend you are. Learn wisdom you must first do."

"But, the acorn from the Oak of Midgard, the seven drops of water. the scale of a dragon, the strands of hair!”

The knight suddenly felt he could feel something inside his mind, something soft and comforting.

"Myths of your culture remember you must . Volcanus in all cultures in myth remembered it is."

The Knight though long and hard, then remembered his grandfather recounting a story of The First World by the fire when he was training to become a knight. He remembered the feeling of fear and the images of a giant volcano and a ferocious dragon that his grandfather's story conjured in the flames of the fire.

"So, I must go to Volcanus and slay a dragon for its scale. That is why you brought me here?"

The spirit smiled.

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"Give knowledge I can. Wisdom I cannot. Find it yourself you must. Guide you I can."

"Ok, so, how do I get down the cliff."

"Open your mind you must!"

The knight breathed strength from the air once more, and jumped ....

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Chapter 11 (by benga)

At first feared of the outcome and lack of control while jumping in endless void, he freed his mind and it came clear to him, the destiny was at his grasp, he just has to grab it!

By his thoughts he landed in Volcanus, the ancient land of fire and volcanoes that onlyexisted as a legend.

He stood overwhelmed with all that fire bursting from ground and random meteor showers and lava explosions. It reminded him off his childhood and fireworks made by his father.

'You cannot control the fire' his father used to say, 'kill it by water of fight it with fire'.

Suddenly giant fireball was coming his way, while evading it he heard terrifying voice ' Another weakling?? What can puny human seek in these lands?? Be gone before fire eats you alive.'

The Knight stood in awe of this ancient creature. This was the first time he saw a dragon (and probably the last), “I have come to fulfill my destiny, speak of your name so you I can tell the stories of your fall!” He himself was shocked of his bravery.

“Let it be the last thing you will hear, Tamriel!' and from his breath another fireball came.”

“I cannot keep evading his fireballs, how did the legend go”, he thought to himself, “ahhh:Through the fire he came,By the fire he died,You cannot run away,Only go through his heart!Heart that's it!!!His heart!!”

He sought his sword out and enchanted it with fire from nearby pool of raging fire. With just one thought in his mind he ran towards Tamriel.

“Hahaha what do you seek to accomplish I cannot die!!” the dragon screamed and breathed out never ending flame from his giant mouth.

Somehow the Knight managed to come close enough to make the deadly blow, he stabbed the dragon with his sword and pierced through his heart. Dragon fell with the last breath of fire coming out of him while his eyes, in disbelief, said more than words could.

Although he had slayed the dragon The Knight wasn't happy. This magnificent creature did no harm to him.Did he do the right thing? Was Tamriel evil? Why does he have bad feeling inside of him?

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Chapter 12 (by Super Nova)(Image by Lx)

The Knight stood over Tamriel as these emotions went through him. “What kind of person am I,” the knight said quietly, that I would kill something without hesitation, that may not have been wicked?”

He bent down to retrieve the scale that was needed to create the potion, but was startled by a rasping chuckle that came from Tamriel. “Poor misguided human” said the dragon, as he slowly raised its head. “Feeling sentimental for killing a me? Even though, I tried to kill you?” Tamriel chuckled again. “The portal must have messed with your emotions a bit; you can’t even think clearly enough to do it in your head.”

The Knight was dumbfounded. He knew he had stabbed Tamriel through the heart; he could see the hole! But even as he looked, he could see the wound closing. He started backing away, unsure of Tamriel’s powers. However, despite all this, he noticed something: how did Tamriel know about the portal?

Tamreil continued to mock the knight: “You mistake a prince for a troll, and start falling in love with Anna at the same time as your Ranger friend! Who’s ever heard of a knight and his companion, who are on a mission to save a damsel in distress and save the kingdom, start having a rivalry for a woman, that isn’t even the damsel in distress you’re trying to save!”

The Knight was starting to forget his earlier sentiments for Tamriel. “Have you no honor, dragon! Hiding behind your magic, so that I cannot defeat you, and then mocking me and accusing me of that which is not true! Besides, since when am I going to fall in love with anybody on this quest?”

“And yet the only thing that kept you alive on the disk world was the though of the princess.”

I!... Well… how do you know so much about me and my quest anyway? Speak! Or I shall run you through once more, and this time, you won’t survive.”

Although Tamriel would never admit it, he knew the Knight could probably do it, since he was still nowhere near full health. And though he didn’t think the Knight could kill him, having a sharp metal stick stabbed 3 feet into him wasn’t very high on his things to do list. “You amuse me Knight, and so I will grant your request. I know about you because I looked into the mind of a friend of yours that has been with you from the beginning, and in addition, I was able to see what happened while you were both knocked out.

The Knight stopped breathing. “The Ranger? My friend the Ranger?”

“Duh. Who’d you think I was talking about?” said Tamriel as he once again rose up to his full height.

By now the Knight was starting to think the portal actually had addled his brains; everything was so confusing: Spirits sending him through portals, a dead friend alive, an un-killable dragon with an attitude…

“But, how? He is… was… dead. I caught a glimpse of him as the whirlwind took me away from the island.”

“Mortals” muttered Tamriel, then to the Knight, “you really are quite ignorant when it comes to magic. You really think that the only people on your side that can work a piece of magic are the hags? They’re hardly good for anything but potions. No, you have a much more powerful ally to help you on your quest.”

“The spirit of Midgard?”

Tamriel looked rather perplexed at this. “I have lived for ten thousand years, traveled all 7 dimensions, and I have never heard of any ‘spirit of Midagrd’. The Knight was taken aback at this, but then the realized something: Spirits aren’t solid! And this ‘Spirit of Midgard’ had physically pushed him through the portal! Tamriel just kept talking anyway.

“You were able to wound me, in fact you nearly killed me, which should have been impossible, since I’m immortal, unless… ahhh. I sense a powerful magic about you, a magic of good, and do therefore deem you a magical. As such, I will help you.I have a very important piece of knowledge, without which you will fail on your quest."

The Knight, who had been pondering his new magical status, jerked to attention. "What are you talking about?"

“Remember Anna and the hags? The hags told you what ingredients you need for the potion. They were wrong on two accounts: first, you need a dragon’s heart scale, which, as you demonstrated already, I do not possess. Second, the pool of Lindax. You don’t need 7 drops from the pool, you need 7 gems from the bottom of the pool, and the only one capable of getting them, is the fierce creature that lives next to it.”

Even amidst the heat of Volcanus, the Knight felt a sudden chill run down his spine, and already sure of the answer, asked one more question: “If the hags are so good with potions, why would they have the ingredients wrong?”

“Anna Choldrin, the great sorceress, daughter of the Wicked Witch of the East, enchanted them.”

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Chapter 13 (by colton24) colton24 is replaced by Darin44

The answer was no surprise to the Knight. He had been sure of the answer to his question, but had still asked it. Although the question's answer was no surprise a shocked expression crossed his face. "No," he moaned,” how can this be? How could Anna have done this?"

"That is not the question, brave Knight, "Tamriel said,” the question is, why?"

“Why would she…” the Knight broke off.

Let me ask you one thing, ”Tamriel said,” Why do you think Anna lied to you about who she was? Do you think she was a plant when you found her by the side of the road?”

“She lied about who she was…because she wanted us to get thrown off track, possibly long enough for them to kill the princess!”

“You are wise Knight,” Tamriel said,” Your wisdom shall help you later on in your journey, and you may be able to find the Ranger if you can answer my other question wisely.”

The Knight considered everything that had happened. Tamriel was right about him falling in love with Anna, although he would never admit that. Or so he hoped.“I do think she was a plant to try and make us fall in love, because she knew we would fight over her and ruin our chances of saving the princess.”

And so our hero set out once more to find the princess although this time he had a different plan in mind. He decided to check the nearby villages for signs of the Ranger. He would start out with the village of Lindaxburgh, home to the Pool of Lindax, and check the taverns and then duel the creature that was next to the Pool to get it to help him. Then he would check the village of Mage especially to find the dragon’s heart scale he needed from the caves around Mage that he knew dragons lived. Lastly he would check the village of Magic Point as he had read that the portal to the Gods’ and Goddess’ world was so he could get the nine strands of hair from the Goddess Amazzony which he knew would be a challenge. So our hero, the Knight, set out to Lindaxburgh to see the fate of him, and his buddy the Ranger, that awaited them there.

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Chapter 14 (by Pheonix.bradley)(Images formatted by Lx)

As the knight broke free from the mystical place he had just bared witness to, he rode hard towards the village of Lindaxburgh. A glad sense of normality returned to him after the madness he had been through, aligning his thoughts towards finding the ranger.The thin forest trail he rode through had suddenly opened up before him and his thoughts came back to the vision at hand, a small town surrounded by a large fortress wall. He rode to the entrance gate and was greeted by an ominous voice from the other side, hidden behind the gate, "Keep riding stranger, we need no trouble in our town from you'."I seek no trouble good man, but for some guidance from the wisest of men in your township"."we can not afford to comfort you for free', and at that the knight tossed a gold coin through the gate, "i will pay me way good sir".At the sound of that comment the gate opened, and a man in a brown hooded cloak appeared, "be brief in our town knight, strange men have been afoot recently, our trust of strangers is running low. The wisest elders are at the inn, feed, drink, find your knowledge and be gone".The knight reined his horse at the front of an old inn and pushed through the door as the room fell silent from chatter for a moment while the towns folk studied him, then as not seeing a threat they continued on there conversations. The knight made his way to the bar and ordered an ale, but before he could take his first sip and old blind man put his hand on his shoulder. As the knight turned, hand ready by his sword, the old man smiled,"Ahh my young man, you have a destiny about you","You know me old man?", "Haha i am blind but see more than most, the ranger you seek is not all that he seems, for he is an old soul reborn in the flesh of man from time to time, when the world needs him.""And what riddle is this old man, do you say he is but a god?""Hahahaha, no no no, he is but an aid to you my friend, for you are of pure heart, he will be beside you in your time of need now that he knows himself, through the ashes of death he has become one with his soul, a man that is reborn through the flames of Hades, he is but your equal, for you need his purity soul as he needs your purity heart to fulfill thy quest.""And where may i find my companion?""He will find you young knight, you must continue your quest in haste, toward the 'Pool of Lindax', it is but a mile down the western trail, at the fork in the road take to the left, but beware for the lake is made of acid and no man can touch it's placid waters".With that the knight raced out of the inn, and the old blind man took up the knights untouched ale with a grin, and toasted to air before sculling the brew, "Ahhhh, the price of knowledge is sweet."A mile down the road the knight sensed a shadow following him, but saw no one, and so took the trail to the left. A further mile down the trail, he came to placid lake, serene in beauty, but deadly to the unaware. His instincts on full alert as he sensed the shadowy figure had closed in, but still saw no one.In that instant a flurry of splashes from the lake attracted his attention, and from the depths of the acid lake a huge creature rose.

Looming before the knight was a hydra with multiple heads, the knight unsheathed his sword just as the first mouth full of needle like teeth snapped at him, and he sliced of its head, only for two more to grow in its place."I'm in massive trouble" thought the knight, as six heads came at him at once, he looked to dive but all escape was covered by snapping teeth, when suddenly the shadowy figure he sensed that had been following him, erupted into flames behind his shoulder. The hydra retreated momentarily and the knight turned to see the figure....through the flames he saw a familiar face.....the ranger, only now his eyes were flouro green, his hair golden yellow, and the flames of an angel surrounded his frame............. the knight stood in awe at the sight, then remembered what the old blind man had said,"through the ashes of death he has become one with his soul, a man that is reborn through the flames of Hades", 'the Ranger's old soul was...was..... a phoenix'.....

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Chapter 15 (by gymnastQT)(Image by Lx)

The knight was unable to move, his body froze by this great sight.... as the Ranger grew near he could almost see himself in the Rangers eyes. And instantly the Knight snapped back to the moment and turned to again face the Hydra, but before he could do anything the Ranger leaped into the air and almost as if it were in slow motion and one fatal swoop of his sword the six heads of the Hydra were sliced from their necks as the Hydra body went slithering back into the lakes acid never to be seen again. And with that the Ranger turned to the Knight and said "fear not for I am always with you in your time of need". The Ranger then disappeared into the night once again.

The Knight stood shell shocked for a moment, then smiled as he rode off himself in search of the princess. It seemed he had rode for days when as he approached a forest he sensed someone was watching him but as he looked around he saw nothing. He continued to ride and suddenly from above 10-15 men dropped from the vines of trees above all with bows and arrows and surrounded the Knight.

The Knight did not show fear for he was sure that Ranger would appear out of nowhere to save him. The men pulled him from his horse and threw him to the ground and still no Ranger to be seen. As the Knight looked up at the men, one man seemed a lot larger than the rest and seemed to be their leader. He was dressed in all green and his clothes clung to him as if they were his skin. This man approached and stuck an arrow to the Knight's throat and said "my name is Robin, the ruler of this Hood, what is your business here?" The Knight cleared his throat and told Robin and the other men the reason for his being there and his quest to save the princess. When the Knight finished Robin only stood and stared into the forest, minutes passed which seemed like hours and the Knights eyes kept searching the area for the Ranger to appear, when suddenly Robin the leader of the Hood began to laugh uncontrollably and within seconds all of his men were also laughing out of control, the Knight was at a loss at what could have been so funny for he was still in fear for his life. Robin stopped laughing as well had his been and said to the Knight. "We have heard of your quest from previous visitors and for a price we can send you in the right direction" The Knight was relieved to hear this and search his bag for gold. He opened the bag and took one piece of gold out. He reached out one hand with the gold piece to Robin of the Hood and before he knew it Robin had swiped the full bag of gold from his other hand leaving him standing there with only the one gold piece. It became silent again and the Knight not knowing what he should do next just started laughing himself in hopes that this is what was the tradition of these very weird men. And at that Robin and the men of the Hood also began to laugh. Robin put his arm across the Knight's shoulder and said my friend where you are going this gold you will not need. You first must get through this Sherwood Forest till you reach the Dawn of Ages Sea. There you must defeat the Dawn of Ages Dragon and speak to his keepers.

The Knight thanked Robin and his men of the Hood and jumped on his horse and started through the forest. As he rode he couldn't help wonder why the Ranger did not appear to help him that time. He then began his journey to the Dawn of Ages Sea in hopes to find more answers in his quest.

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Chapter 16 (by AzureX)(Image by Lx)

As the Knight rode through the forest the sun began to set and the Knight grew weary. Up ahead he saw a patch of grass surrounded by ferns. He thought to himself, “that looks inviting; I think I will take a rest”. As he neared the inviting patch, he could hear water. He dismounted his horse and approached the grassy mound and saw the source of water, a babbling brook full of lily pads and purple frogs. He kneeled before the brook and took a sip. It was ice cold and sweet. He continued to drink until his thirst was quenched. Slowly, he began to feel a sense of euphoria, he began to grow tired, grinning ear-to-ear he lied down on the grass and began to sleep....

....He slowly rose from the patch of grass in a soup of fog. He squinted as a blinding light began to break through the fog to the East. A large man was silhouetted and appeared to be mounted on a lion with a massive main. This man appeared to be a giant, with long flowing hair which was as impressive as the lions main, in which he sat. The silhouetted giant moved silently closer and his presence sent shivers down the Knights spine. The giant then spoke in a surprisingly high pitched voice, “my friend, you must return to where you came, if you continue on, you will perish at the hand of the Maenad by orders by Dawn of Ages Dragon”. “Do not seek that in which you can never have.” Then his voice shifted and bellowed like a trombone…. “Leave now!” As he shouted these final words a club swung swiftly at the Knights head, knocking him out, unconscious…. returning to a world of peace and dreams….

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Chapter 17 (by thunderhue)

The Knight woke from a dream about fog, tall dudes with fabulous hair, and a club. A number of things started to make sense, as they often do after a good sleep.

First, he realized that almost from day one he'd been reacting to events with no clear plan in mind. Someone seemed to be manipulating him, almost intentionally trying to keep him off balance. He'd not been able to focus on what he knew best: being an awesome, kick-ass knight. Whoever was really behind this, whether Sorceress Anna, the Prince of Midian, or someone else, was trying to distract him.

Second: Anna. It was her who had sent him on this wild goose chase for acorns, scales, and gems. He'd just kept following along with little to show for it. (Except, he reminded himself, he did some serious butt-kicking in some intense fights. A dragon even! "You are a knight worthy of emulation; a model for other hero adventurers to follow", he told himself.) Any information originated with Anna would now need to be questioned. Perhaps even the location where the princess was being held. Which left very little to go on. Unfortunately, that clue, the "small cave halfway up Dragon’s Fire Mountain" was the only thing to go on.

Third, he considered his allies: The dragon Tamriel and the Spirit of Midgard had both provided "help", if they were not also pawns of Anna. But they seemed unavailable now. The Ranger was really his only friend and companion on this quest. He had always been trustworthy and competent, and now would be doubly so as the Phoenix. He was a serious advantage. Still, more allies would be needed.

A plan was beginning to formulate. He needed to take back the initiative and bring the fight to the princess's abductors. They needed to become the ones off-balance. Perhaps a diversion while he and The Ranger/Phoenix worked on directly assaulting the Dragon's Fire Mountain cave? He'd need a reliable magic worker in case there really was a spell protecting the cave.

It was time to shake things up. That dream about the guy with the hair and the club reminded him of the small hamlet of San Francisco. He decided that would be a good place to start. He could to look up some former friends and find some allies who could come along or create a diversion. He'd finalize his plans once he saw who was available.

"It's time to start acting like a knight," he told himself. "It's time to stop questing and start pounding. It's time to overturn the sorcery mountain and squish the vermin that come crawling out." It would be very good to get back to San Francisco.

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Chapter 18 (by Tammy DeLee)(Image by Lx)

Wait! San Francisco! That’s it... now the Knight knew who had been invading his dreams. The man with the wild hair and eyes to match. Holding a crystal ball in one hand and a Staff of gnarled Oak in the other. He couldn't help but notice that the staff this crazed man carried resembled the man’s own gnarled hands. How could anyone hold onto any item with such a deformity. This man that haunted his dreams had to have once been a warrior, he knew this as well as he knew his own name. Why? The Knight had no idea but would've wagered his life upon it.

The Knight finally had figured out where he had seen this man before. He wasn't a figment of his imagination, as he had originally thought, but a fortune teller that he had seen in a lowly tent on a dimly lit street in the most violent and impoverished section of his beloved San Francisco. He was dared by some noblemen to visit the depressing tent with a prize of 20 gold pieces should return to them with the braided headband that this poor man wore to keep his unruly hair out of his eyes. The seer never took off the headband so it would be a difficult task if part of the dare was to perform this task unseen. But the old man was hardly a match for the young strapping Knight, so the headband was delivered to the noblemen within minutes of his visit to the tent. The Knight pitied the old seer, but hard times had befallen him and his stomach ached with hunger. So, pity or not, the Knight had no choice. Starvation was not an option now, since such an easy task had been offered. At the time the Knight thought that surely, it must be the gods showing pity for him, which made his lessened the feelings of guilt for robbing such a defenseless man of probably one of his most prized possessions. The Knight thought back to the moment he took the headband from the old man. The seer just looked at him with his sad eyes, and the knight noticed a tear rolling down the man’s cheek, but the seer never uttered a single word, just watched with those sad eyes as the Knight exited the tent. The Knight thought now that perhaps it wasn’t the gods at all that had brought about the task, but possibly a demon that enjoyed watching the torment of others, which would explain the why the dreams of the old man had haunted him constantly for as long back as the Knight could remember.

But why now? Why would all these memories come flooding back at this particular moment after years and years of the same dreams? Could it be a sign? A clue perhaps to the whereabouts of the man he knew he had to find to help him with his quest? Could this crippled old man be in fact the powerful sorcerer that he sought? The Knight had no answers yet, but knew he needed to move on. He also knew at the end of his quest that all his questions would finally be answered. He knew not why he was so sure of this, but his search for the truth tugged at his heart almost as much as his longing to see the princess once again. So the Knight mounted his horse and headed towards the North Star, The knight was weary from his travels so he began to pray that the gods would see fit to aid him in his quest and would put an end to his travels....

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Chapter 19 (by laughingcavalier)(Images formatted by Lx)

Our knight travelled swiftly now he knew his mission, through highways and byways to the town of San Francisco. Those who recognised him in the town marvelled. “He is not as we remember him,” they told each other. “He is touched by the fates and a fierce aura surrounds him.” Those who did not know him stepped out of his way. The knight left the better part of town behind him descending to the shanty town by the river.

He came to a lane of humble dwellings, where he hitched his horse beside the entry to the tent he remembered. He pushed back the rough cloth that hung over the doorway. Entering he peered through the smoke that rose from an untidy fire to a mean hole in the roof. A circle of men sat beside the fire. One gnarled old man looked up at the knight. It was the seer.

“You return,” said the seer. “Once you wondered at the tear on my face. It was a tear cried for you, because I saw then your fate. I see many futures but none are so awful as that which awaits you. You are close to it now – LOOK!”With a wild swing the Seer struck his staff into the fire – the logs split, the flames flew up, an image coalesced hanging in the air. The knight saw this same tent, the ground outside it, the road to San Francisco’s gate, the road leading on beyond it into the foothills and on into the mountains. “You are drawn this way. This journey you must travel,” intoned the seer. “I feel that fate upon you…”The road hanging in the air reached a spur of the mountain beyond which the knight could not see. With a sudden fierce glare and a great crack of an explosion the vision disappeared. “STOP!” cried the Seer. “Do not pass! I know you are drawn there and there you think you must go, but for pity’s sake, for love of man and the Kingdom you hold so dear, do not pass this point. I see your death in that hideous place and a horrible death too – no good can come of your going there!”A dread settled on our Knight’s heart, but his mind was clear. He strode from the tent, shaking off the Seer who tried to hold him back. The path was clear to him. He departed the town, out into the foothills beyond and higher ever higher into the forbidding mountains. He passed through hills where the foliage was blasted black and burned away.

He came to land where there was no forage and there left his horse journeying on foot. At last he came to that same place he had seen in the vision where a spur of the mountain came down to cross his path. A heavy dread settled on his heart, for he knew the seer’s prophecy was true. In this place, should he take a step further no good could come for him. But too, he knew, he was come for the princess and in service of a greater good than his own.He stepped forward heavily, each stride a struggle as if he was dragging his feet through thick toffee. He drew his sword and turned the corner of the mountain…

No enemy assailed him. He looked round. High on the hillside, black in the rock’s face, the saw the opening of a small cave…

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Chapter 20 (by Commander9)(Images formatted by Lx)

There was no other choice - the knight understood that it was the cave that would truly lead him to his destiny. Acorns, scales, gems - these were all machinations of Anna and they served only one purpose - to not let him find the true path towards the Princess. All of his life, his training was preparing him to face whatever was in that cave... He bravely climbed towards the top of the mountain and entered the small cave. It was a small cave indeed - he had to crouch for 123 metres after the entry to finally reach some sort of hall. The knight has expected to find a challenging adversary, one truly worthy of his skill. However, there was nothing...

Knight had searched the whole cave for 2 hours, before lying down in distress. Had all of his quest been for nothing? Had he truly lost the only opportunity to save his beloved princess? Knight sighed... and feel asleep.

Galadriel had always been the favourite of everyone around her - she was extremely beautiful, of great character, savvy, intelligent and wise, agile and strong. The Princess indeed was worthy of her father and had no shortage of followers. Even when she was just a small lady, all of the kids felt a strong attraction to her. The young son of blacksmith was no exception - he had always been in awe of her, yet was to shy to ever express anything feelings he may have had.

One early morning, when the sun just came up, the Princess Galadriel had gone to the Royal Gardens of the Palace. She never was spoilt, so Galadriel seen no need to wake up her bodyguards and headed out alone. While walking towards the Gardens, she thought how nice it will be for once to enjoy the nature alone, without a band of people being always around her trying to get on her good side.

Midway through the day, she had been exhausted, but happy. The princess could not remember when she had so much fun and enjoyed herself so much. She had enough time to rest in solitude and contemplate about life's little things. Just as she was preparing to leave, she had not noticed a small branch just before the bridge and she tripped on it, falling to the river. While Galadriel knew many things, she had never learnt to swim and after a few shouts of help, she was about to drown. She felt how she was slowly descending down to the bottom of the river... but a strong hand got her on the wrists and puller her up. She gasped when she was it was the blacksmith's son...

"Thank you for saving me!" - Galadriel shouted out of joy and hugged the young blacksmith. - "I thought I was a goner. I'm soo lucky that you were walking by!"

"Well.... To be honest, I followed you all the way from Castle to now... I only wanted to make sure you would be alright should something happen to you, but I did not want to disturb your medition"

"My saviour!" - the Princess shouted and gave him a short kiss to the cheek. "From now on, you shall be known as a knight...

She was interrupted before she could say the name.

"Milady, fear not, I will always be whenever you will be in the need of help!"

The Knight woke up with renewed determination and purpose - he will save her at any cost, even if it would cost him his life. He now understood the pointlessness of all the traveling - he had to go back to Ann and find the truth. He drawn out his trust sword and he marched out of the cave... There was only one thing in his mind - Galadriel... And the only place where he could find the truth was England.

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Chapter 21 (by danryan)

Now his princess had a name – the knight headed eastward to the house of the Duke of Middle Earth, also known as the husband of the Wicked Witch of the East. Acorns, water drops (or gems), dragon scales, goddess hairs, what was this, some kind of scavenger hunt? What kind of knight runs around the world looking for small bits to throw into a pot for some greasy hags to make a concoction from? Why did the story keep changing on him? Why was he talking to himself in interrogations?

No time for more questions now! His friend the phoenix, formerly known as the Ranger, was waiting for him at the crossroads. As he raised his arm in salutation, he felt a crackling sensation on his skin, began to smell burning flesh, and heard a faint hiss and then a sizzle as he and the Ranger fell into nothingness…

He awoke, with nary a scratch to show for his being waylaid the night before, to see a statue in reclined pose in front of him. For some reason it seemed very familiar yet he couldn’t place it.

Next to the statue was a scroll with a text he couldn’t read on it. He could however make out the meaning of the symbol at the bottom of the scroll. Clearly it was a sign of impending danger, and knowing that it was coming didn’t make it any easier to spot.

His brief reverie was interrupted by a patrol of soldiers wearing a short sword, leather sandals, and a segmented metal armor. The visage of the men was unfriendly but businesslike and they gruffly ordered the Ranger and the Knight to stand using unfamiliar voice and very familiar hand commands. Obviously well trained military men, they then marched the pair at sword point to a nearby building which appeared to be the home of someone very wealthy. Upon entering, a servant girl offered them figs, and the knight took one. He would have bitten into it had not an old man quickly whispered “Poison” in a hushed voice. The old man obviously had command of the Knight’s language; he spoke it with no accent. Where could he have come from? What could his intentions be? Why were we back to endless interrogatories?

With no further time to explain, the knight, the ranger, and the old man were rushed into a room …

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Chapter 22 (by nesterdude)(Images formatted by Lx)

As the door closed behind them, the Knight thought he heard the sound of stone breaking to rubble.With the story rising to a climax and nearing its end, our Knight and the Ranger, along with the Old Man who helped him avoid the poisoned figs were jostled intermittently by men of the patrol. The Knight was then witness to an enormous gathering hall, heraldry of black and grey decorating the walls among various decorative weapons and tools of war. Left and right, the walls mirrored one another and in each corner burned fires in large black furnaces emitting smoke Cedar and Oak.

In the center of the room, a gnarled old tree grew, and bound to it was the princess, haggard and worn. Tears streamed down her face and her clothes were torn from the whip held by a cackling little toothless man in rags. She was gagged.The Knight seethed.Opposite our Knight, at the far end of the hall, was built into the stone a magnanimous throne and in it a thin man with black hair and serpentine eyes, wearing chain armor with black and grey heraldry, the Duke of Middle Earth. To his left, a buxom woman in silver, grinning and holding a thin rod, the Witch of the East. At his opposite, a Troll, the Prince of Midian. And for good measure, six black Knights staggered throughout the room.The Duke stood, drew a saber and announced, “You have arrived good Knight, this moment is upon us.”The Witch screeched, the troll roared, the Black Knights tensed and the patrol turned pointing their swords at the three.

In a perfect combination of speed, agility, prowess, and form, the old man and the Ranger dove, one left another right, as our Knight dropped, unsheathing his sword while lifting it up, spinning round cleaved each member of the guard – a few in the aorta, one in the chin, and another through the skull. With blood spraying and spurting from the wounded and dead the Knight stood, chainmail littered in red.As no scene remains idle while you’re occupied, the Knight took the battlefield in: the Ranger had shot the man in rags through the eye, out the back of his skull; the arrow 10 feet behind the victim’s body twisted on the floor. Two black knights were down with more arrows and the Prince’s left thigh spraying blood with each heartbeat, but still a threat.The Ogre made his way toward the Knight.

To his left, the old man had torn off his robe, and wore black robes. He and the witch were staring intently at one another 20 feet apart, every movement of the arm or leg, or eye, or brow was countered by the other. They fought in a battle of metaphysical pugilism.As the Ranger continued to loose arrows, the Knight and the Ogre charged toward one another. A moment before they met, the Knight collapsed to his knees, sword ready, sliding toward the beast. A second later, the Ogre was an invalid – green blood further changing the Knight’s hue. Our hero then moved toward the head and neck, slicing it from the body.Witch and Old Man (now magician) still staring; three more black knights down and the Prince now shielding himself behind the princess and the tree, blade to her neck, the Knight closed in slowly – a flash to his left.“End this Moridin, you are done,” said our Knight.“Nothing ends you feckless fool, all is eternal,” said the Prince, and with a flick of the wrist and pull of the arm, the princess was no more.A scream, a growl, a howl, the Knight charged; the Prince, now slashed across his belly howled himself, though in pain, and laughed, then cried, and finally moaned. It would take a few hours to bleed out and the Knight wasn’t going to make it easy. He turned toward the princess who was now a pale, ashen white, without breath or heartbeat, drooling.The Knight collapsed. Looking up he found his two companions and the scene of the room – the bodies of the patrol behind him, the black knights dead in front of him, the troll pieces all around, the torturer nearby, a mound of green ash and the prince gurgling.“This is not the princess Knight,” said the old man.“Eh?”“It’s a changling, a doppelganger. You must find the princess and she is with Anna.” And with that he was gone.The door burst open; a solid stone foot entered, then a body then a head. The statue had come alive.

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Chapter 23 (by Genoke)(Images formatted by Lx)

Both, knight and ranger, were exhausted from the last fight, nevertheless a new threat was coming near. As they were prepared for a ferocious fight, a warm voice pealed into the room: I...come...in...peace...! In front of our friends the statue fell down (right on an stunned rat), exhausted and slowly changing back into it's human body,...the king. When the transformation was complete the knight helped the king back on his feet, and wiped off the flat rat from his forehead.

Apparently the king had been cursed by the 'witch of the east', so he would've witnessed a forced marriage between his daughter Galadriel, the princess and the ugly troll, prince of Midian. The king always refused a marriage, because the princess rejected the troll, and he knew that the duke and the witch were only interested in the mighty kingdom. After many peaceful attempts the evil family (duke-father, witch-mother, troll-son and anna-daughter) used their force to fullfill their dream. That's how the beautiful princess got kidnapped and the king got cursed into a statue with the only possibility to watch. Due of the victory against the six black Knights and the prince, the duke and the witch fled away, which led to the disappearance of the curse aswell.

Knowing all this, our threesome knew some actions needs to be taken with no time to waste, the loss of their son took away the reason why the evilhearted family would keep Galadriel alive. Even with two horses and they're with three persons, they decided to split up. The king took a horse and headed to city Mogul, capital of the kingdom of Midgard, to gather reinforcements.

(City Mogul, capital of Midgard)

The knight and the ranger mounted the other horse for a journey back to the woods of the hags, in company of Anna and probably Galadriel too. During the trip the horse had to jump over some bushes, but refused this action which caused the fall of the knight. Although he's a very experienced rider, he couldn't prevent from falling of the horse. Unfortunately, when his head hit the ground our knight became unconscious.

Out the middle of nowhere.... pinocchio appeared with seven dwarfs by his side. Without any hesitation the dwarfs picked up the knight and brought him in a hole under an old oak. Pinnochio revealed a glimpse of the knight's future by showing him a vision through his magic orb. The knight witnessed a battlefield:...on one side there was: the duke on a lizzard and with him; anna on a pink elephant, the witch flying on her broomstick, followed by their infantry including shrek and a dragon, breathing out water bubbles. On the other side there was: the knight himself on a motorbike, the ranger on a hang-glider and popeye with the three little pigs. The dragon approached very fast and started the attack on the knight with his water bubbles. As soon as the water touched his face the knight got back to his consciousness.

It was the ranger who cast some water to bring back the knight to his awareness. Without wasting more time or problems they headed to the forest were the hags lives and where the king soon would arrive with his reinforcements. Would this be the last confrontation against Anna, the Duke, the witch and the hags? And could they rescue the princess?

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Chapter 24 (by Eternal Shadow)(Images formatted by Lx)

As the Knight and the Ranger approached the forest, they came upon the final valley they had to cross and the Knight hesitated. This was the battlefield in the vision that Pinocchio had given him. He began searching the skies and land for any signs of the warriors that were to fight. All of a sudden a dragon roared overhead, with a strange green creature on top. The knight had no idea what this creature was, but only one word popped into his head; Shrek. He had no idea what a Shrek was, but somehow he knew that if such a thing existed, this must surely be it. The dragon headed to the East and joined the witch in the air, the witch herself hovering on her broomstick. Below them was an army of mass proportion. Being led by the Duke on a giant lizard, the Knight saw many mythical creatures in the army, some of which he didn’t even know the name of.

Then the Ranger pointed across the valley to the West where the Knight saw the King, and with him his own army of Knights and warriors with Popeye and three smaller-than-average sized pigs leading it. The Knight and Ranger hurried to join them. The King greeted them with horses decked out in armour ready for battle.

“What about my motorbike?” asked the Knight.

“And where is my hang glider?” added the Ranger.

“Don`t be silly,” said the King. “Those things haven`t been invented yet.”

Disappointed as they were, they prepared for battle. The plan was simple; the King, Popeye and the smaller-than-average pigs would lead the army into battle against the creatures in the Duke’s army, while the Knight and Ranger would head into the forest to where the hags lived where they would attempt the rescue of Galadriel. As the armies clashed with a ferocity that shook the entire Kingdom of Midgard, the Knight and Ranger slipped off in the confusion and headed into the forest.

As they neared they’re destination, an awful stench reached their nostrils. Soon the source of the smell was found however. The hags lay dead, sprawled across a small clearing, and in the center of the clearing was Anna, sitting on top of a large, pink elephant, the princess` limp body on the back of the elephant.

“You are too late” declared Anna as she took off through the forest. The Knight and Ranger followed her back through the forest and were led back out onto the battlefield. With the battle still in full swing, utter chaos was the general consensus in the valley. As Anna was retreating towards he father, the Knight, out of the corner of his eye, saw Popeye fling one of the smaller-than-average pigs at her and pick her off with such accuracy that the Knight could not help but be impressed. The Duke, having seen this, steered his lizard over to where Anna lay on the ground, out cold but still alive. As the lizard reared back to attack the Knight, the Ranger loosed an arrow into the weaker scales on the bottom of its neck. The lizard dropped to the ground, dead, and the Duke dove off at the Knight, knocking him off is horse. Drawing his sword, the Knight parried a blow from the Duke, and struck back with his own. The Duke blocked this, but was knocked off balance. The Knight saw his chance and attacked again with all his might.

Bringing the sword down into the Dukes chest, the Knight heard a hiss of steam as the Duke died, then heard all kinds of howling and screaming. Turning, he saw all the creatures of the Dukes army turning to flee.

As the Kings troops roared in victory, the Knight and Ranger turned to finish off Anna, only to see her mother swoop down and scoop her up, promising that she would one day exact her revenge on the forces of good.

The pink elephant had also run, but not before the three smaller-than-average pigs had jumped up and rescued the princess from its back. As they began to walk over to her, the Shrek jumped down from the dragons back and was about to attack when a female Shrek (Fiona, the Knight decided in his head) emerged from the forest and started yelling at him in a foreign language. With his head hung low, Shrek boarded the dragon once again with Fiona and they took off into the distance, with Fiona’s irate voice echoing back until they were out of sight.

Days later, in the chapel of Mogul, the Knight and princess were married and settled down to a nice life in peace, but the Knights eyes were always on the horizon, searching for the Witch of the East, ready for whenever she came to do good on her promise.

Whilst our hero and his companion, who was also known as the Ranger of the Free Cities, had understood the true magnitude of the journey on which they traveled. Our valiant Knight knew that their was a reason for the treachery that had befallen our beautiful princess, however he did not take into consideration that this one event, how little or large it may be, could lead to a changing of the world as he knew it.

As our Knight and the Ranger continued on their journey, they came upon a vagabond upon the side of the road. What was uniquely interesting about this particular vagabond is that her clothing was completely filthy but made of the finest materials this side of the known world. As our hero and his companion approached the wretch of a woman, they could not help but feel pity upon her. The Knight rode his horse over to the woman, “I bid you tidings madam, from whence comes though, you appear ill and smell rancid, however you are dressed in the finest silks I have seen which is a peculiar conundrum.” The woman stared up at them with the most intense and radiant green eyes either one them could remember to have seen. Her eyes had been hidden because she had been staring down as they had approach. “Noble Knight” the woman replied, “I am Anna, daughter of Duke of Middle Earth and close friend to the princess who has been captured. I was captured with the princess and since have escaped. I have sullied my looks in order to remain unnoticed until I found someone whom I thought would be able to help me save my friend.” Our Knight stared at her for several moments with out uttering a sound. He made so little noise that the Ranger and Anna thought he had stopped breathing. Then he answered, “My Lady, I have never met a woman of your character before. Most woman I have met that are as stunning as you do not have the gumption of loyalty or anything beyond what they will eat the next day or the next item of clothing they will decide to wear. I commend you for your courage and loyalty. I have the ability to detect guile within the voice and have found you completely truthful. Please fair lady, clean yourself up and tell us what you know.”

The Ranger then led the woman to a river while the Knight rode back to town to find her some clothing suitable of the journey. After Anna had cleaned up and changed into her new clothing she began to tell the two men of her terrible adventure. While our Knight had the special ability to tell if people were telling the truth. Our Ranger had the unique ability to appear as if he was listening and not to actually pay attention until something critical was being uttered. Call it a sixth sense or what you will and since his memories are the ones in which this chapter has been written we will miss the entire story. While Anna continued on her story he just stared at her intense beauty. He could not believe how beautiful she really was. If she would have him, he would be her man. Just then, his ears picked up something import, “I overheard the kidnappers saying that they would be taking us to the the Dark Prince in the territory known as England.” Anna uttered exasperated, for concluding her lengthy story in less than five minutes. “Well it seems we have our heading Ranger” the Knight said as he began to saddle the horses. “You may come with us or journey to your home noble maid. I will send my Ranger with you if you tend to head home.” the Knight said. Without hesitation, Anna replied, “I will stay the course until my friend is safe.” Onward the band of three headed to the England.

Done

-pt

Last edited by ptlowe on Wed Aug 18, 2010 11:42 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you. Thomas Jefferson

By daybreak Anna, the Ranger, and the Knight had traveled nearly half the distance to England. Riding at night had proved to be a wise choice, for they encountered not a living soul save for a hungry owl and an unfortunate mouse. They galloped towards a forest as the sun began to rise and were relieved at having some shade for the next leg of their journey.

The riders allowed the horses to amble on for a few minutes, but then slowed their rides, being careful to look around for anyone or anything hiding in the thick foliage of the forest. As the trees got larger and denser the horses hesitated and suddenly a branch swung forward and hit Anna so forcefully that her delicate frame was knocked off her horse and she landed on the mossy earth.

The Ranger immediately dismounted and rushed to Anna's side. "She's unconscious, but alive", he sighed with relief as the Knight stayed mounted and alert. The Knight drew his sword and used it to slash away some of the branches obstructing his view. As he did so, the Ranger was violently dragged into the bushes. The Knight's horse shied and as the steed's legs went up the Knight lost his balance and hit his head on the trunk of a great oak. He experienced a blinding pain that did not fully distract him from the faint awareness that he was being dragged into the trees.

When the Knight awoke with a throbbing head, the Ranger was sitting behind him, their arms bound together by thick knotted twine. They were seated uncomfortably on a dirt floor in a smelly hovel. Remnants of meals were littered across the floor and skins of rats were clumsily stitched together to make crude curtains for the filthy windows. A quick exchange of words confirmed that they neither knew where they were or more importantly, where Anna was.

Whoever had tied the men up had little skill in the art of binding and after only a few minutes of coordinating wriggling; the Knight and Ranger had freed themselves and set about looking for Anna. They cautiously stepped through a gruesome drapery of animal pelts came upon a stone staircase leading down into darkness.

Without hesitation, the Ranger led the way down the way into the unknown with the Knight, no less a man of action, right behind him. As they descended, the dulcet sound of Anna’s voice could be distinguished between the sounds of hoarse mutterings.

“I see…., well I suppose so…” Anna’s voice was cordial yet halting and the Knight felt the Ranger’s body stiffen. They were but steps away and before another word was spoken they found themselves in a shabby candlelit room. Anna was seated at a decaying wooden table and for all accounts could be assumed to be taking tea with a trio of decrepit hags.

The crones jumped up as the Knight and Ranger stepped into the room. “Get out, get out, GET OUT” they shrieked. Although the hags seemed to be older than the forest in which they dwelled, they were astonishingly spry and strong and before the men could register what was happening they found themselves pushed upstairs into the squalid room. The old women puttered about the room whispering and moving quickly.

Anna appeared just a moment, looking no worse for wear, “It’s alright”, she explained, “They’re harmless really, in fact they might prove to be useful. They’re forest hags and are intensely distrustful of men. They know quite a lot about the princess’ whereabouts the last few days and they’re willing to share some information with us.”

The Ranger and Knight looked at her skeptically, “Surely these witches can’t be trusted!” exclaimed the Knight. “Perhaps”, nodded Anna, “but it’s a chance I’m willing to take”. “A chance you’re willing to take?” asked the Ranger, “What do they want from you?”

Anna took a deep breath, “Let me explain”

Last edited by squishyg on Thu Sep 16, 2010 11:20 am, edited 4 times in total.

“Several knights traveled through the forest on the eve of the new moon. The hags swear the princess rode in the midst of them, her hands tied together, and a scarf tied round her eyes.” Tears filled Anna’s eyes. “The hags followed them for a day and a night and know where they have hidden her. It is a small cave halfway up Dragon’s Fire Mountain.”

The Knight said, “If she is so close we can soon rescue her.”

Anna shook her head. “They have gotten aid from the Sorceress Choldrin who has placed a Spell of Protection around the cave. No one can enter or leave the cave. The hags can prepare a Potion of Unbinding to free the Princess, but …” Tears trickled down Anna’s cheeks like small streams of water in a meadow.

The ranger stepped forward and took Anna’s hands in his. “But what, fair lady? I am at your service; tell me what I must do.”

“They do not have all the items required for the spell.”

“Then we shall gather them.” He wiped away her tears with one finger. “No more tears, we shall do this for the Princess and the King.”

Anna’s lip trembled. “I fear you are her only hope. And there is not much time. The potion must be prepared on the eve of the full moon and used the following night. Everything must be gathered by then.”

The Knight stepped forward and placed one hand on the hilt of his sword. “I swear by all that is holy that we shall return here with all that is needed.”

One of the hags stepped forward. Wrinkles lined her face, coarse gray hair hung over her shoulders and dark eyes stared at him beneath sagging eyelids. A scar zig-zagged down her cheek. “Brave words, Knight, but we trust no man. We will keep Anna here as a token of your allegiance.”

The Ranger stepped forward, one hand on his sword, but the Knight swung his arm across his friend’s chest and held him back. “Then tell us what you need so we might begin our journey while it is still light.”

“An acorn from the Oak of Midgard. Seven drops of water from the Pool of Lindax. A scale from the back of a dragon. And nine strands of hair from the Goddess Amazzony.” She pointed at the door. “Go. Now. Do not return unless you complete your quest.”

With a single nod of his head at Anna, he gripped his friend’s shoulder. “We shall return before the eve of the full moon.”

Outside the hut he pressed one finger against his lips and shook his head. In silence they mounted their horses. He led the way beneath the swaying branches of towering trees. Small animals scurried beneath shrubs while birds sang overhead. A breeze scattered leaves and sunlight filtered through the trees dropping pools of golden light on the narrow trail. More than an hour passed before the Knight spoke. “Where shall we begin? The oak is the furthest away and guarded by an ogre. A terrible monster lives beside the pool. The dragon sleeps by day and flies at night, and most assuredly breathes fire. And the Goddess can weave spells of magic to ensnare any man’s heart.”

“Let us sleep this night near the crossroads and in the morning make our decision.”

“We must be wary, if the Sorceress hears of our quest she will send many creatures to stop us.”

The ranger said, “Like that one?”

When he peered over his shoulder the Knight saw a troll.

Last edited by MyTurnToWin on Sun Aug 22, 2010 7:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

As you probably know, there is a General Achievement Medal up for grabs for whoever wrote the "Best" Chapter of our Damsel in Distress story, which will be decided by voting.

Since many entries do not comply with the requirements in the 1st post (no images provided or not provided in the proper format, too little, too much text, etc.) I decided to come up with a system where the entries that did comply with the requirements already get votes:

If you wrote a chapter you already get 1 vote.

If you wrote a chapter and provided one or more images you already get 2 votes.

If your entry complies completely with the requirements you already get 3 votes.

This way the people who follow the rules get recognized, but everybody gets to enter in the vote. This also means that when you vote for the "best" chapter, you don't need to look at the entry following the rules or not, you can simply judge every chapter on other merits, such as:

Originality and imagination

How it is written

How it fits in with the rest of the story

How it is connected to the map and setting chosen by the writer

Reading the whole story, I also realize that it is not easy to choose merely one chapter. So, you can vote for 2 chapters. Your first choice gets 2 votes, your second choice gets 1 vote. If you decide to vote for only one chapter it will count as 1 vote.

Since I am in the tournament myself, amazzony will collect the votes by PM. Please send her a PM with the subject:Damsel Votes. Votes posted in this thread will NOT count! The voting will be anonymous.

You cannot vote for your own chapter. Nor for chapter 8 by bkwill and chapter 24 by colton24.

Trying to get others to vote for your chapter will result in disqualification of this "best" chapter contest.

It takes a while to read the whole story a few times, so voting will be open until midnight of May 31.

(Am I supposed to be the terrible monster living next to the Lake of Lindax?)

Lx

Since I cannot write anymore of the story I do not know who or what may lie beside the Pool of Lindax. You? Another? A horrible creature that defies description? Only as we turn the pages shall the truth be revealed.